Wednesday, August 31, 2011

I adore county fairs. I adore state fairs. Maybe it's a midwestern/heartland thing. Maybe it's a just a fondness from childhood memories. Whatever the reason, I'm a sucker for the sights, sounds, smells, and sensations of the fair, no matter how clichéd, sentimental, or deep fried. The next few posts will be devoted to county fair reasons to be happy.

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Ahh...the ultimate feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction.
(Again, I must note that this is not one of my own lists. On my own lists, each item is broken into several parts, just so I have the satisfaction of marking more things as "done.")

Monday, August 29, 2011

Are you a listmaker? I love making lists. I'm a little neurotic about it. So much so that I had to pull images of lists from the internet rather than photographing any of my own—I didn't want anyone to see just how detailed and kind of crazy mine are! Lists make everything seem manageable and in control. Seem is the key word—we all know life really isn't anything we can control. But a little illusion sometimes gets ya through your day!

Friday, August 26, 2011

You know what this "means" for you. It could be accomplishing a goal, finishing a marathon, doing something that scares you. Pushing through something difficult, whether it's difficult physically or emotionally (or both!) is something to be proud of...and getting to the finish line is a BIG DEAL.

Today is my LAST of 35 radiation treatments for cancer.
(Caught early, not invasive, excellent prognosis).
That's a mighty big reason to be happy. :-)

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Many people are surprised to learn I have a real soft spot in my heart for zombie stories. I love them. I love all apocalyptic stories, but especially those that start with a good "zombie virus."

I think I'd be a pretty darn good person to have on your team in a zombie apocalypse. If you've seen my garden posts, you know I could be in charge of Post Apocalyptic Food Production. You know, the two main keys to surviving the ZA will be guns and seeds. You're gonna need both.

For other good "rules" about the ZA, be sure to check out the fun comedy Zombieland. Yes, there are zombie comedies. Great ones, like Shaun of the Dead!

Featured here are some of my favorite zombie books, movies, and television shows. Can't wait for the return of The Walking Dead series this fall. Check out the full length trailer for it featured at the San Diego Comic-Con.

And then, there are these fantastic people. People who feel just like I do about zombies. So much so that their engagement photos featured a zombie attack! Another reason to be happy is that such fun, smart people exist. You know they're a blast. I wish I knew them. I'd invite them to a dinner party!

Saturday, August 20, 2011

At this time of year, I go outside to wander the garden and gather up bounty on a daily basis. There's something so satisfying about it. I love heading out to "pick what's for dinner." Veggie pizzas, caprese salad, salads of all kind, gazpacho, cucumber soup, salsas, roasted red peppers...

Friday, August 19, 2011

I know. That's very odd. Joey is very odd in many ways.
He was abandoned before he was weaned, and this habit is common in cats with that history. If he's sitting on my lap falling asleep, he often sucks on my sleeve. If I'm sleeveless, he sucks the inside of my elbow.

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Especially when it's real key lime pie, and it's the right color—yellow, not that fake antifreeze green. Apparently, there is much debate among purists as to what makes a "real" key lime pie. I say, if you make it with key limes, you're in. Oh, and put it in the freezer for a real treat!

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Combine the graham cracker crumbs, walnuts, cinnamon and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add melted butter until mixture binds together. Press the mixture into a 9-inch pie pan and refrigerate until ready to use.

To make the filling, in a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks, whole egg, slat, sugar, key lime juice, vanilla, and sweetened condensed milk. In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites with a hand mixer until they thicken and form soft peaks. Slowly fold the egg whites into the condensed milk mixture. Pour the combined mixture into the pie shell and bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Let pie cool completely before serving. Garnish with whipped cream and lime if desired.

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Reason to Be Happy #41:Forgotten Money Found in Your PocketWhether it's just $1 change you shoved in a pocket and forgot, or a $20 in a purse you rarely use, it's always such a joy to "discover" money you forgot you had.

Monday, August 8, 2011

Even if you don't like the taste, the aroma of coffee is a heavenly thing. In the beautiful play Our Town, dead Emily lovingly says goodbye to all the simple pleasures on earth she will never savor again—and it's worth noting "the smell of coffee" makes her list.*

*Okay, I just looked up Emily's "Goodbye, world" speech. She says goodbye to coffee. Just coffee in general. But I like to believe it's the aroma she's thinking of when she says it.

Sunday, August 7, 2011

I don't mean acting in a safe matter, but the state of being safe. I know that nothing is certain in life and that anything is possible, but I also know that I have lived every day of my life with a very low statistical chance that I will be killed by a stray bullet, a bomb, marauding bands of rebels, or a neighbor with a machete. Really, when you think about it, that's a pretty darn good reason to be happy.

Saturday, August 6, 2011

The perfect lazy weekend morning includes most, if not all, of the following:

1. Waking on your own, not to an alarm2. Good coffee3. A pastry you had the foresight to buy the day before4. Time to finish the crossword5. Time to do the Jumble6. Time to truly read the paper (not just skim)7. No commitments until at least 2:00 PM8. Never having to look at a watch, phone, or clock because there's nothing scheduled9. Staying in pajamas until noon or later10. NPR (especially Wait Wait Don't Tell Me and This American Life)